Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Aug. 28, 1982: The day two Miami Herald columnists almost turned out the lights on Miami's film industry

Thirty years ago this week, on Monday, Aug. 30, 1982, the Miami News reported that "Scarface" producer Martin Bregman was threatening to pull his production out of Miami because of two weekend Miami Herald columns that he said were "highly inflammatory."

From the Miami News:

One column, written by Miami Herald columnist Roberto Fabricio, labeled Bregman "an idiot" and "the chief culprit." The other column by Herald staffer Guillermo Martinez, stated, "We do not need money at the expense of our image."

Bregman said, "Apparently from these (columns) we're not wanted in Miami and I've never believed in staying where you're not wanted.

"I mean, for God's sake, no one down there has even seen the script and yet they all seem to know what the movie is about. It's not not anti-Cuban. It's not anti-Mariel refugee. It's not anti-anything."

A few days later, on Sept. 2nd, Miami News cartoonist Don Wright had his say: